The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-25
AMERICAN CATHOLICS.
Letter of the Hierarchy ConsratuIatinc the
Pope Upon His Golden Jubilee.

Letter of the Hierarchy Congratulatinc the
Pope Upon His Golden Jubilee.
LONDON, Dec. 24-The following Is a
literal translation from the Latin of the letter
from the Catholic hierarcy of America to Pope
Leo, coneratulating him upon the attainment
of the fifteth anniversary of his ordination to
to the priesthood:
Most Holy Father:
LAS the devotion of Christian people, the
dignity of your and the Importance of the
deeds done by You certainly demand, the whole
world now coneratulates you the fiftisth joy
full and glorious anniversary of that day where
Of you received the Christian priesthood.
just half century has elapsed since you
dedicated yourself wholly to God, and solemnly
pledged yourself to serve in performing the
cred rites of His temple and in furtherng divine
worship. Nor have you ever been found want
ing in the fulfllment of your duty or your prom
ises. All are aware that scarcely were you adj
mitted to the service of the altar when you
became a model for your fellow citizens IN
every virtue. Then, when you were honored
with the bishops inter, nothing was nearer your
heart than the unfolding and extending or the
honor and authority of God and the holy church
by upright laws and regulations
But when the proyident mind of your prede-
cessor appointed you to aid in carrying on the
public business of the church, it can scarcely be
told with what prudence. what wisdom ana
what happy success you acquitted yourself of
your charge And when at length you were
elevated to that exalted position TO which your
virtue, your divinity. confessed genius and
You, You assuredly proved not only that the
cardinals who elected you. but that God him.
self. in His mercy, looked to the good of the
church In these evil days. For, mindful OF
what has been done by your predecessors and
walking 10 the footsteps of those who, under the
aame name which you bear, have with SO great
1.Ase eft nothing uninterrupted to bring back TO
the pathway of rectitude both those of your
flock and those without the fold who have
strayed from Christian truth.
Often indeed have YOU recalled to their minds
and held strongly before them in solemn terms
the eternal law of God. without the support Of
which neither the family nor human society. nor
civil governm ent itself, subsist which
law Though IL is clearer than sunlight. since it
was revealed by God. and by the aid of reason it
is made more manifest and better established)
philosophers, wrongly so-called, have now for
three centuries striyen to remove from their own
minds and from the minds OF all nations This
they do with such insistence that there some
even among Catholics who seem To be entrapped
by the failacies, and to be hurried headlong to
ruin by the onset of this growing error.
deeply in truth were reioced Most Holy
Father, when lately with such wisdom and sue
you asserted the heaven born majesty of
your by reconcilinc discordant rulers and
peoples of Europe. 1t seemed TO US that those
happy times had almost returned in which the
Roman Pontif was looked upon as the
father of all princes and of all nations
who glory in the Christian name. In
CARRYING through these transactions such pru-
dsnce was manifested by you, ssuch benignity.
such sincere love of peace and concord that far
distant posteritv will wonder how out of power
full enemies you made friends and almost
But when remember the many benefits
with which you have enri ched the American
church moved to render you thanks
with our whole soul, and would that we were
able fully to do The thing ted
to perform that we do, and to-day most willing
~ we join with our brethren spread throughout
the entire world. and on this anniversary of
your elevation TO the priesthood we offer you our
most heartfelt congratulations. We begfor you
from Almighty God all happiness and prosperity.
and especially that He NAV preserve you as long
possible for the good of the Christian com
monwealth
PROSTATE at the feet OF your Holiness. we
earnestly beseech the apostolic benedction.
the letter is signed by Cardinal Gibbons all
the Archbishops and all the Bishops in the
country.